Toe-puff and like stiffener for boots and shoes



D. B. MACDONALD. TOE PUFF AND LIKE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. i920.

Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

III I"III/II' i.' Il

D. B. MACDONALD.

TOE PUFF AND LIKE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1920.

1,345,944. Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. B. MACDONALD. TOE PUFI" AND LIKE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2,1920.

.Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

y DAVID BAIRD MACDONALD, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

TOE-PUFF .AND LIKE STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application led March 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID BAIRD MAG- DONALD, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Leicester, in the county fof Leicester, England, have invented cerlike stiifeners for boots and shoes and concerns chiefly those of the kind composed of textile material impregnated or coated with gum or other stiffening agent.

The invention has for its object to put upon the market a stiifening article which will be ready for immediate use and will not require softening prior to insertion into a boot or shoe upper. The toe-pu or stiffener comprehended by the present inventionwill be adapted to be placed in an upper while in a soft or pliable condition and after being lasted will set hard and firm.

rIhe invention consists of a toe-pu or other stiifener comprising a face layer, a back layer, one or more intermediate vlayers of reticulated material coated or impregnated with a stiffening agent in solution in a solvent of volatile character, and with or without one or more middle layers of porous, absorbent or other suitable material adapted to serve as a carrier for the stiffening agent.

The invention also includes' a method of packing the improved stifeners as will be hereinafter described.

"In particularly describing the invention y reference will be made to the accompanying 4:0l

drawings in which :-v

Figures 1 and 2 show different forms of l a toe-stiifener.

Fig. 3 shows a stilfener formed of graded layers.

Figs. 4 and 5f illustrate methods of making stiifeners wherein the thickness is varied. f

Fig. 6 shows in plan an open'tin or container with the stiffeners packed therein.

Fig. 7 shows, in perspective, a device ,used in connection with the packing of the stiffeners.

The views in the drawings are shown by way of example, and in Figs. l and 2 the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 6, 1920..

1920. Serial N0. 362,859.

layers are partly separated to show the same more clearly.

According to one example a stiifener, such as a toe stiffener, comprises (Fig. l) a face layer a of nonporous and preferably smooth surface material., a back layer Z2 of porous, non-porous or absorbent material having a cellular, pitted or rough surface, and one or more intermediate layers c of reticulated material coated or impregnated with a stiffening agent in solution in a' solvent of volatile character.

In the example shown in Fig. 2, the stiffener comprises a middle layer CZ of porous, absorbent or other suitable material adapted to serve as a carrier for the stifiening agent, one or more layers c of reticulated material applied to each side of the middle layer or carrier d, and a layer of covering material applied to the reticulated material so as to form the face a and back b of the article, the middle layer CZ being impregnated or coated with a stiii'ening agent in solution in a solvent of volatile character.

The layers are preferably formed of textile material, the face layer a being thin, smooth and constituting the upper or outer face of the stiffener while the back layer I) may be comparatively thicker and constitutes the underside. The intermediate reticulated layer or layers c is or are also preferably of textile character and serve as a binding medium for the stiffening agent.

In a concrete form of the invention the face layer 'a is made of a textile material such for example as white Croydon, linen or like material preferably dressed or filled so as to be non-porous, the thicker layer Z) for the back is made of duck, the reticulated layers c are made of muslin or equivalent, and when used, the middle layer or carrier g is made of swansdown or a jute fabric such as hessian.

In making a stiffener composed of layers such as illustrated in Fig. l, the stiffening agent is applied by being spread upon the i finally the layer of backing material b is applied.

In the case of the stiener shown in Fig.

"2, the stii'ening agent may be applied by being spread upon both sides of the middle layer d upon each side of which is then placed a muslin layer c and this may also be given a coating ofthe stii'ening agent. further muslin layer c is then applied iQng agent after which the Vface and back layers a and b are applied to the respective sides. Or alternatively the article may be made up by commencing with the back or face layer b or a, spreading on this a coating of the agent, then applying thereto a reticulated layer c, spreading on this a coating of the agent and applying another reticulated layer, spreading on this a coating of the agent and applying thereto themiddle layer d, then similarly applying two more l reticulated and coating layers and finally,

l after coating the last reticulated layer with the agent, applying the face or back layer surface and of non-porous character, and..

it is an essential feature that the middle layer or carrier, when used, is of absorbent,

porous or similar character adapted to become impregnated with and hold thel stiening agent.

The stiifening agent used is preferably one containing Celluloid in solution' and is applied in a liquid or semi-liquid condition for example in the form of a viscous paste. The purpose of the middle layer or carrier is to absorb or otherwise retain the moist s stifening agent and prevent the latter running oroozing out at the edges such as when 4 the stifeners are packed, one on top of another. For instance by using a textile material such as hessian or other jute or like fabric, coarse canvas, felt, coarse duck swansdown or other material which is porous or absorbent to compose this layer, the same becomes impregnated with the agent and so retains it. Similarly, where a middle layer such as al is'not used, it is the purpose of the back layer b to absorb or otherwise retain the moist stiffening agent. On the other hand it may be found that a middle layer or a back layer composed of a maeach side and is coated with the stiifen-4 terial which is non-porous or non-absorbent but has a cellular, or pitted or' rough surface which will hold the stiifening agent willanswer the purpose. A good combination may consist of a porous or absorbent middle layer, and a back layer of a nonporous material which latteris adapted by reason of its rough, cellular or pitted surface to hold the agent. In this case the back layer will assist the middle layer in retaining the moist stifi'ening agent. The face layer may, for example in a vamp stiifener, be made of similar material and also serve to retain the agent.

As a further means to prevent the flow of the moist stiffening agent, the latter may have mixed with it an inert material such for example as shoddy, vegetable charcoal, fibrous cotton, wool or leather, the purpose being to compact or bind the agent so that while it is in a moist condition it is restrained from flowing or running out from between the layers composing the puff or stiffener.

The puffs or stiffeners may be made up of layers of the material employed which are cut out tothe shape desired before being as' A sembled such as shown in Figs. l and 2. Or the materials in sheet form may be assembled and combined with the stiffening agent and be afterward cut to produce the articles. Thelatter method has an important advantage in so far that the operation of cutting out the puff or stifener while the agent is moist presses the edges of the layer together and seals up the article all around its edge thereby preventing escape of the stiifening paste.A

It is also a feature of the invention that for the purpose of varyingthe thickness of the article,.graded layers of material may be used, that is to say instead of the-various layers of material'composing the' stifener being uniform in size (in which case the article is of uniform thickness) the said layers maybe graduated in size so that the article is made thinner at its edge. For instance the stiifeners shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 are formed with a rear thin edge e by using a face layer a of smaller size than the next layer c which in turnis smaller than the layer underneath it. These different sized layers are placed together level at the front f so that in the article produced there is a less number of 'thicknesses at the opposite edge Or the same effect may be produced by gradually reducing the size of the layers from the face layer to the back layer, or from the middle layer to. the back and front layers. By varying the sizes of the layers and arranging theposition of the' smaller layer or layers on the larger, anyrdesired part of theedge of the article may be made thin by reducing the number ofl layers at this locality while the greater lnumber of layers in the center of the article gives stiE- ness wherev required. This method of grading may also be used when the layers of material are superposed before the articles are cut therefrom the said layers being set back from one another at the edge or edges so that when the articles are cut out the corresponding edge or edges will be thin.

' sufficient to either use one middle layer or carrier, or to omit the middle layer as herein described, but for stiffer puffs and stiffeners such for example as those used for mens `boots and shoes the article covered by this invention may contain two or more middle layers of the kind herein referred to. When two or vvmore of the carrier layers are used they may be placed together after being coated with the agent, or'one or more of the reticulated layers may be interposed between the said carrier layers to bind the stiffening agent.

It is intended to use a stiffening agent which will upon the evaporation of a spirituous medium therein, set hard and stiff, and to pack the stiffeners while they are in a moist and pliable condition, in tins or other suitable containers which are adapted to keep the articles in a moist condition so that when required for use they may be taken out and are ready for immediate insertion into boot and shoe uppers without requiring to be softened. During the time the articles remain packed the middle layer or the back or both prevents the moist stiffening agent from running out.

In packing the articles they are placed.

closely one upon another and preferably in alternating reversed position as represented in Fig. 6, to facilitate Separation.

To further facilitate separation of the articles when they are unpacked and required for use, there may be employed for packing purposes a band or strip or equivalent which is passed to and fro between the superposed articles so that between each pair of adjacent articles there is located a portion of the band or strip. The band or strip is preferably of plicate form, as shown by way of example in Fig. 7, so that a stiffener can be placed between each fold, in which case it will be understood each article is separated by those on each side of it by the intervening length g of the band. Vhen the' s'uperposed articles with the band or strip combined are packed, they lie close together, but upon removal from the tin or container, by pulling upon the opposite ends of the band and wholly or partially straightening it out the whole of the articles are separated from each other. Y

The band or strip is preferably made of metal such as tin for example, and is folded to shape prior to use, the folded parts being left open a sufficient distance to permit of the ready insertion of the articles between its folds. In loading such a band or strip it is laid or held in a horizontal position and stiffeners are placed in position in the open folds, then the band is turned over and the open folds on the other side are filled, after which the whole is closed endwise and placed in the tin or container. By providing with a definite number of folds, counting of the articles may be rendered unnecessary as all the operator need do is to fill the band on both sides. Thus the packing band may serve as a counter.

IVhen made of metal or any equivalent]y stiff material each fold may be made square as represented at h or of some other shape which will obviate, when the band is closed upon the positioned articles, squeezing said arti-A cles on the edge and the material employed is such that will allow of the band being extended by pulling upon its ends when the articles are to be removed.

Alternatively to forming the band or strip of metal or equivalent it may consist of a strip of tape, paper, or some other pliable material this being combined with the articles as they are placed in succession one upon another. A band of this character when combined with the packed articles serves to separate them upon bein pulled out straight after removal of the pile from the container.

Or by leaving the packed pile of articles in the container and pulling the top end of the band or strip upward, the articles may be separated and removed one at a time.

It is intended that the band or strip shall be of such width comparatively to that of the articles as to enable separation of said articles to be readily effected.

Alternatively however, two or-more narrower bands may be used with each pile of articles instead of one band.

Instead of using a fiat band or strip I may I 2. A stitl'ener for use in the herein described manner, comprising a middle layer of porous, absorbent or like material impregnated or coated with a stifening agent, a layer of reticulated textile vmaterial applied to each side of the middle layer, a layer of textile covering material applied to the reticulated material to form the face of the article and a layer of material having a pitted or roughened surface and applied to the reticulated material to form the back of the article.

3. A stitfener for use in the herein described manner comprising a central lling' portion composed of a plurality ,of layers of porous or absorbent material impregnated with a stifening agent a layer of textile covering material applied 'to the central filling portion to form the ace of the article and a layer of textile material having a pitted or roughened surface andv applied to the central filling portion to form the back of the article. v Y

41A stiffener for use in the manner def scribed, consisting of a pad having a face layer of impervious textile material, a back layer of'textile fabric, and a plurality of intermediatelayers, one at least of which is of sot porous textile fabric impregnated With a plastic, stilfening agent and the other of reticulated textile. fabric adapted to be penetrated by the stiiening agent.

5. stitfener for' use in the herein described manner, comprising a middle layer DAVID BAIRD MACDONALD.

Witnesses: l

R. W. C. TAYLOR, GEORGE LESTER. p 

